50 



Cultivation of the Hop Crop. 



[Ape. 



CULTIVATION OF THE HOP CROP. 



IV.— COMMERCIAL VARIETIES OF HOPS. 



Arthur Amos, M.A., 

 School of Agricidl.ure, Cambridge, 

 and 



E. S. Salmon, 

 Sontk-Eastern Agricultural College, Wye. 



In the description which follows no attempt has been made to 

 enumerate all the varieties of hops grown in England, but the 

 best commercial varieties which are commonly gi'own in England 

 have been selected and their more important characteristics 

 given. 



Characters of Commercial Importance. — The characters of 

 commercial importance in a hop are the following : — 



Order of Riperitng. — In the list given below the varieties have 

 been arranged approximately in the order in which they ripen, 

 but it will readily be understood that this will vary with season, 

 district and treatment of the hop-garden. A knowledge of the 

 order of ripening may be of use in helping a beginner in planting 

 to arrange his gardens so that the late hops may not be exposed 

 by the picking of the earlies. It is of course necessary with anv 

 considerable acreage that the hops grown comprise early and late 

 -sorts, so that they can be picked as they successively become 

 ripe, without overtaxing the drying capacity of the oasts, as 

 well as providing a reasonably long hop-picking season for the 

 pickers. 



Vigour of Growth. — This character is of importance since it 

 largely determines the width of planting and the height of wire 

 work which should be adopted. It is also to be taken into account 

 in connection with resistance to disease — Aphis C greenfly '"). 

 hop mould and red mould, canker and nettlehead — a very impor- 

 tant factor in successful commercial hop-growing, and a subject 

 of which unfortunately there is little scientific knowledge. 



Snitahility to Soil and District. — For reasons which are little 

 known, varieties are greatly influenced by these two factors, 

 and beginners should only introduce a new variety to a district 

 after a thorough preliminary test. 



Ease of Picking. — This factor is important in the cost of pro- 

 duction ; some varieties can be picked much more cheaply than 

 others, e.g., Fuggle's than the true Golding varieties. 



Keeping Properties. — A knowledge of this character gives a 

 •guide to the beginner in deciding the sequence of picking — 



